The Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories has grown tenfold since the 1948 Nakba. This "catastrophe" led to the displacement of nearly one million Palestinians from their homes. Many sought refuge in neighboring Arab countries, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 957,000 out of 1.4 million people were displaced by Israeli militias during Israel's establishment 77 years ago. Some fled to other countries, while others went to Gaza and the West Bank. Approximately 450,000 Palestinians already resided in these areas.

The current population of the West Bank and Gaza now stands at 5.5 million. This figure represents more than a tenfold increase since the Nakba, which Palestinians annually commemorate on May 15th. Bureau president Ola Awad highlighted the "atrocities of Zionist forces" in 1948, including over 70 massacres where more than 15,000 Palestinians were killed.

Statistics from the bureau indicate that Israeli forces destroyed 531 Palestinian towns and villages during the Nakba. Additionally, the 1967 Six-Day War caused a further displacement of 200,000 people from the occupied territories to neighboring countries, resulting in the occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and the Syrian Golan Heights.

Awad noted that the ongoing conflict in Gaza since October 2023 has reduced the Palestinian population in the occupied territories by 10 percent. Tragically, over 52,000 people have been killed, and thousands more have been displaced. Since 1948, an estimated 154,000 individuals have died due to Israeli attacks or armed clashes in the occupied territories and Arab countries.

Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2600452/middle-east